Pro-Russian activists snub Kiev government’s concessions
Pro-Russian protesters in eastern Ukraine have dismissed government’s concessions and refused to leave occupied state buildings for the fifth day in a row.
The protesters’ defiance came on Friday as a 48-hour ultimatum by the Kiev government to lay down arms expired.
In the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk, protesters continued to raise barricades in front of the seized state security headquarters.
The demonstrators have issued a 10-hour ultimatum to local leaders to decide about holding a vote on self-determination.
The protest leaders have also announced that they are forming a united large group of volunteer army with other eastern and southern cities that demand a Crimea-like referendum. The decision came in response to threats by the Kiev government to use force to clear the seized buildings.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian activists in the nearby city of Donetsk said at least 1,500 people have joined the volunteer army of their self-proclaimed state called People’s Republic of Donetsk.
Demonstrators in Donetsk were also forming their own interim government ahead of a planned referendum on the status of the self-proclaimed republic scheduled for May 11.
In a bid to end the standoff, interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s government promised on Friday to offer greater powers to the volatile regions near the border with Russia.
On April 6, protesters seized government buildings in eastern Ukrainian cities, including the regional administration building in Donetsk and the headquarters of the Ukrainian Security Services in Luhansk.
The pro-Russian demonstrations gained momentum in the Eastern European country after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16.
